Day 63 - Chocolate Disaster to Chocolate Decadence

Attempt number 2 on this chocolate cake recipe (first one was tried for boys' birthday) and yet another set of fallen cakes.  Now, the first time I thought it was because I put the batter in loaf pans (to make lego blocks) and figured too much batter per pan.  This time I used 3 - 8" rounds (recipe calls for 9" but that shouldn't have made that much difference).  Still fell.  Most people at this point may very well say find a new recipe - I say I will conquer this thing yet!  The cake itself is pure heaven if you're a chocolate cake person.  So, next week on cake baking day I will attempt it one more time in the hopes of perfection.  Meanwhile I will be reading up on what makes cakes fall.  Somehow I believe in the last steps of adding the flour and buttermilk mixture my big stand mixer may be too powerful.  I may try the last step by hand mixing so as not to add too much air at the end.  Other than that I am not sure where I'm going wrong - other than the boys and I refraining from walking in the kitchen :)

Disaster you say - well yes and no.  The way the boys (and mommy - I now predict a bad weigh in next Monday) snarfed it down it obviously didn't taste bad.  So, I cut it into pieces and currently am flash freezing them downstairs.  Flash freezing is a term I use when I put something in single layer form on cookie sheets and freeze so that when I bag it up the pieces don't all stick together.  Works great for berries, cookies and in this case cake.  Luckily there is a class specifically for chocolate desserts and I plan to make an amazing chocolate trifle. Truly I need to use that trifle bowl I received as wedding present sometime.  I think homemade pudding and whipped topping is a must with a few other chocolate delectables thrown in.

I just can't resist - Grant and Clark are both just so darn cute helping me in the kitchen.  Grant now crawls over to the kitchen tower/stool and puts his little leg in the air (kind of looks like a puppy going potty).  I am going to assume this is one year old sign language for "I want up to the counter to help!"  He is also trained when I open the silverware drawer on our buffet to come crawling at an advanced rate of speed to raise his arm for a spoon.  The boy loves spoons.

As a trained career and technical education professional I am just using my degree to provide my sons with plenty of experiential learning opportunities!  Yeah - that's how I justify that degree!